What does an Associate Director do?
An associate director oversees the daily activities and business operations within a particular area. They are primarily responsible for devising strategies that aim for growth in profit and customer satisfaction, implementing policies and standards, evaluate the workforce, providing support to various departments, and setting goals in terms of budget and sales. Furthermore, they must regularly report progress to the director and coordinate with managers and supervisors in the joint effort to reach the vision and mission of the company.
Associate director responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate director resumes:
- Lead implementation of OPPE and FPPE for TJC.
- Manage accounting, weekly reports, local contacts, and maintenance of sets, props, and costumes.
- Manage all aspects of music ministry - including arranging all music for schedule services special programs and events.
- Manage departmental training schedules, work schedules and CPSI electronic medical record (EMR), certifications and competencies.
- Manage web development and rebranding initiative.
- Create a coordinate university social media committee quadrupling engagement during campaigns and achieving a national twitter trend during commencement.
- Design information systems for regulatory review and FDA submission of medical images and clinical information for clinical trials.
- Review MDS data for distribution to federal entities.
- Monitor client charts to ensure compliance with DHS regulations.
- Operationalize key performance indicator (KPI) reporting process.
- Circulate cases as needed as well as assist in PACU.
- Develop and implement procedural policies, JCAHO policies, and coding compliance policies.
- Implement innovative solutions within patient access to decrease FTE cost while producing optimal performance within the department.
- Coordinate with facility leaders, Medicare CDPH, and TJC survey preparation process and on site surveys.
- Reorganize block time and assist in running a more efficient surgery schedule and staffing schedule more appropriate to meet their needs.
Associate director skills and personality traits
We calculated that 11% of Associate Directors are proficient in Patients, Healthcare, and Project Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Creativity, Time-management skills, and Leadership skills.
We break down the percentage of Associate Directors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 11%
Associate Director-Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory Hematology/Oncology Department Established and performed all molecular-based diagnostic testing for pediatric oncology patients.
- Healthcare, 8%
Developed and implemented departmental Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Compliance Program in coordination with University Compliance Office.
- Project Management, 6%
Implemented flexible, business-focused vision; delivered department-wide process improvement; standard project management; validation/change control disciplines; business-side engagement.
- Oversight, 6%
Exercised oversight of the Laboratory Animal Medicine office and supervised animal facility management personnel and veterinary staff including animal program veterinarians.
- Portfolio, 6%
Developed new credit monitoring and risk management system that organized a large and diverse portfolio of investment funds into risk-based categories.
- Excellent Interpersonal, 5%
Connected with clients/customers daily through excellent interpersonal skills and managed the client/customer relationship.
Most associate directors use their skills in "patients," "healthcare," and "project management" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential associate director responsibilities here:
Creativity. One of the key soft skills for an associate director to have is creativity. You can see how this relates to what associate directors do because "because a script may be interpreted in different ways, directors must decide on their approach and on how to represent the script’s ideas for the production." Additionally, an associate director resume shows how associate directors use creativity: "direct responsibility for fda and dea compliance over facilities, product security, handling and inventory. "
Leadership skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of associate directors is leadership skills. This skill is critical to many everyday associate director duties, as "directors instruct actors and help them portray their characters in a believable manner." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "provide leadership and accountability for commercial and clinical manufacturing, meeting or exceeding fda guidelines/standards. "
Communication skills. A big part of what associate directors do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to associate director responsibilities because "producers and directors must convey information and ideas clearly in order to coordinate many people to finish a production on time and within budget." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical associate director tasks: "serve as primary contact leading and facilitating communications with the fda opdp, aplb (formerly ddmac). "
The three companies that hire the most associate directors are:
- Organon1,412 associate directors jobs
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.1,249 associate directors jobs
- Guidehouse933 associate directors jobs
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Compare different associate directors
Associate director vs. Director of business operations
The position of a director of business operations involves the direction and coordination of an organization. It is the main responsibility of the directors of operations to oversee the profitability and overall growth of their organization. Their job includes staff management, department supervision, goods production, and expense control. They handle the company's resources, create and implement an operational plan, and make sure that the procedures are executed properly. The skills necessary for this position include leadership skills, management skills, customer service, and communication skills.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, associate director responsibilities require skills like "healthcare," "portfolio," "excellent organizational," and "strong project management." Meanwhile a typical director of business operations has skills in areas such as "business operations," "financial management," "business strategy," and "operational efficiency." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Directors of business operations really shine in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $127,932. Comparatively, associate directors tend to make the most money in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $143,618.The education levels that directors of business operations earn slightly differ from associate directors. In particular, directors of business operations are 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an associate director. Additionally, they're 3.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate director vs. Director of project management
Project management directors are the ones who develop and direct the strategic planning of different projects. The directors oversee the coordination of resources and personnel necessary for project completion. Typically, the directors require certification for project management. They develop a methodology for standardized project management in a balanced matrix organization. The directors should be equipped with skills in process improvement, customer service, infrastructure, portfolio management, and strategic initiatives. They should also have skills in communication, attention to detail, and leadership.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that associate director responsibilities requires skills like "patients," "portfolio," "excellent interpersonal," and "continuous improvement." But a director of project management might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "resource management," "business objectives," "program management," and "pmo."
Directors of project management earn a higher average salary than associate directors. But directors of project management earn the highest pay in the real estate industry, with an average salary of $143,185. Additionally, associate directors earn the highest salaries in the pharmaceutical with average pay of $143,618 annually.directors of project management earn similar levels of education than associate directors in general. They're 3.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate director vs. Director, special projects
The primary responsibility of a director of special projects is to ensure the successful conclusion of construction-related projects. Special project directors lead, organize, and perform corporate projects outside their duties. They utilize project management, business process management, and change management disciplines for timely and cost-effective initiatives delivery. It is part of their responsibilities to collaborate with business leaders and entrepreneurs to perform corporate programs and initiatives. They also manage process enhancements and various special programs.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an associate director is likely to be skilled in "patients," "healthcare," "portfolio," and "excellent interpersonal," while a typical director, special projects is skilled in "website content," "hipaa," "logistics," and "program management."
Directors, special projects earn the highest salary when working in the manufacturing industry, where they receive an average salary of $130,125. Comparatively, associate directors have the highest earning potential in the pharmaceutical industry, with an average salary of $143,618.Most directors, special projects achieve a similar degree level compared to associate directors. For example, they're 1.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate director vs. Regional director of operations
A Regional Director of Operations supervises an organization's operational activities for an assigned region. Their duties include hiring employees, creating work schedules, overseeing the regional budget, and authorizing expenditures.
Updated January 8, 2025
